Sweet Child Of Mine
by IdiotsLogic
Summary: Rated M for a scene of sex. During the Constable's stay in the Hollow, Katrina conceived a child. The news is announced proudly in New York, but a question still lingers.


**DISCLAIMER**

**I do not own Sleepy Hollow. The films characters are the property of Tim Burton and Paramount Pictures. The story (both book and screen story) are the property of Washington Irving and Kevin Yaher. I use these characters purely for the entertainment of fiction writing.**

**-**

The lovely maiden lowered herself to his bedside as he lay in slumber. She placed both hands on her lap, gazing down at his with her autumn-leaf coloured eyes. Ichabod Crane. She had been so mesmerised by him and his ways, hypnotic. Eager like his pupil but wanting only to be near him. The constable lay upon his bed, blanket reaching just under his chest and his arms relaxed at his sides. It was so different to how Katrina had usually seen him. Standing proud with his posture painfully well composed and his clothing as straight as a new pin. Now he bore a flimsy shirt that exposed his rather toned chest. His tousled hair as relaxed as his face. His face. What a handsome face he had, and now not as firm as it usually was.  
The Van Tassel girl's eyes fell back down to his exposed chest, perhaps the only skin she had seen on him besides from that he wore on his face. Her hand trembled, finding itself of lift. It reached over him,pressing his soft cheek. Her fingertips lined along his jaw with a feather touch, down his neck, down his smooth chest, down his stomach ..

The man's face suddenly became disturbed as he was torn from his dream back to reality. Letting out a frightened cry and flying upright. Just as Katrina snatched her hand back, he flew into her. To her own surprise, her arms were waiting for him. The now alert, but perhaps not quite there Ichabod's arms stayed at his side as he attempted to register, his breathing laboured. At last, he rose an arm and round it wound Katrina's neck. As if she were his protector, yearning for that safe feeling.

'Shh,' She soothed, rubbing a hand up and down his upper-back. 'You were dreaming'  
'Yes,' He said in hush, fist clenched as he remained clung to her. 'Of things I had forgotten .. '  
The clenched fist slowly flexed to reveal his palm, blood spotted with each marking. A haunting reminder.  
' .. But would not like to remember'

Katrina paused, somewhat taken by his comment. 'Tell me what you dreamt.' She uttered, not pulling herself away from him. He didn't move either, besides from a slight considering movement of his head.  
'My mother was an innocent, a child of nature.' Ichabod began, staring down at the bedcovers. 'Condemned .. murdered,' A beat. 'By my father'  
'Murdered by .. ?' She turned her head to look at him, letting her arm slide off his shoulder.  
'Murdered to save her soul,' His calm tone faded to a bitter, brief snarl. 'By a bible-black tyrant, behind a mask of righteousness'  
The constable had turned away, raising his head slightly as if he was truly unphased by his confession. Though inside, it tore him.  
'I was seven when I lost my faith'  
Katrina pulled away fully, her brow furrowing as she attempted to contemplate what he meant. Lost his faith in the world of magic? Lost his faith in God the heavenly father? Both were potential, either one or both teamed may have resulted in the man's turn to science.

'Then what do you believe in?' She asked.  
'Sense and reason,' He said without hesitation, knowing his place in the world. A man amoung morons in his workplace. A place of brutality. 'Cause and consequence'  
There was a moment of silence which seemed to dither on forever. Katrina remained looking at him as intently as she had when he had slept, watching his facial expression change. He quickly but softly shook his head to himself, refusing to look at her as he spoke next.  
'I should not have come to this place, where my rational mind has been so contraverted by the spirit world'  
The maiden tried to remain aloof but the comment disheartened her. She had developed these silent feelings towards this man, perhaps she were a fool this think he was developing likewise.

'Will you take nothing from Sleepy Hollow that was worth the coming here?' She asked, calmness in her voice. Ichabod finally turned his head to look at her, face close to hers. His lips teased a small smile.  
'No,' He said, equally has calm. The bitter tone and harshness fading to black as his whole attitude softened. 'No, not nothing'  
Perhaps the next said was not wise, but if he did not admit then it would be yet another this to haunt him. He looked away briefly.  
'A kiss,' He turned back, saying it as though he were admitting it. 'From a lovley young woman'  
Katrina smiled at him.  
' .. Before she saw my face or knew my name.' He finished.  
'Yes,' Katrina added, triumphant now. 'Without sense or reason'  
Another pause, Ichabod shrinking back guiltily. Again looking away.  
'Forgive me, I .. I speak of kisses,' The next he did not want to say, but the man had morals. 'And you have lost your brave man, Brom'  
Now it was Katrina's turn to shrink back in a guilty fashion, she glanced down. Her lips wanted to stay tightly pressed together but she had to respond. In all truth, Brom was quite far from her feelings right now. He had not quite scratched the surface to begin with, and for thinking that she felt a terrible stab of conscience.  
'I have shed my tears for Brom, and yet my heart is not broken.' She admitted honestly, a look of confusion and lingering desire on her face. 'Do you think me wicked'  
His answer could make or break her, she waited.  
'No,' He said at last, relief filling her. 'But perhaps there is a little bit of witch in you, Katrina.' The man was smiling a teasing smile to her, though she did not give one back. He could have meant nearly anything, either to mock or tease. She looked at him questionably.  
'Why do you say that?' She asked, Ichabod's eyes looking at her intently, and then tilting his head back slightly.  
'Because you have bewitched me'

The small smile the lady had offered earlier was merely a phantom of this one. A beautiful, broad smile as she leant herself forward with open arms. She took hold of him, caressing his tousled hair as he let her. At first he looked confused as if he had never known affection, then he raised a hand and held her back. The two clung to each other a moment, then Katrina slowly eased herself away though leaving her hand on his shoulder as it slid up from the back of his head. The hand made its own way along his shoulder, up his neck slowly. Then finally finding the face, fingers lightly frushed to his cheek.

'You are a beautiful man, Ichabod.' She uttered, her hand relaxed and her face content. The compliment made his heart flutter, though at the same find Ichabod felt a slightly awkwardness. Having never been this close to a woman before, to have such intent eye contact, and the eye did not go unwanting.  
'Oh,' He uttered. 'Thank you, as are you.' Ichabod flinched, mentally smacking himself for being the first to blunder in comment unwillingly. 'I .. I meant, of course .. '

He was interrupted as the girl lifted her finger and pressed it to his lips to hush him, a small smile on her face as she admired his blunder. It was his nature, and nature in itself was a beautiful thing. Katrina's smile began to soften to neutral as her hand began to slowly re-enact it's earlier motions. Tracing his jawline with a feather touch, brushing his chin. Though, her fingers stopped at the chin, taking hold of it gingerly as if it were a precious thing. Katrina leant herself forward slighty, a dreamy look on her young face as her face neared to his. Their lips finally met, Katrina closing her eyes and enjoying it. His lips soft. Though relaxed, Ichabod's eyes stayed quite open. A million thoughts rushing through his mind all at once. After a moment or so, he pulled away quickly.  
'Katrina .. ' He said with hesitation

The lingering taste of her lips he could still taste on his own. She eased back but only slightly.  
'You do think me wicked.' She whispered, feeling it for herself. The constable shook his head.  
'No. No, I do not.' He insisted, though he tried, he could not muster another sentence to go with that.  
'Is this what you meant by sense and reason?' She uttered to him. 'Cause and consequence'  
'Not in so many words.' He exhaled, looking away yet again. 'I do not know what I mean anymore'  
'Look at me,' Katrina said softly, her hand turning his face towards her with a light touch. 'Ignore your sense, ignore your reason. What does your _soul_ say?'

The question could not be properly registered, his lips quivering to reply. Katrina decided to offer an ultimatum. She leant forward yet again to kiss him. If the soul rejected, she would leave. If the soul accepted her, she would stay.  
Ichabod's breaths became thin as he pondered what to do. The girl was practically widowed merely hours ago and he had been there to witness it. I seemed wrong, yet at the same time so right. She was a skin's length from his lips, when his heart made the decision for him. His own head leant forward, his lips pressing against hers. Katrina silently smiled to herself. Her hand left his face, tracing down onto his smooth chest. This time, her fingers slid under his white shirrt, caressing whatever flesh she could feel. She became tiresome of his shirt, sliding it off his shoulder with closed eyes, exposing one shoulder and a length of his arm. Inside the caressed chest, the constable's heart thumped and pounded, though he used every will in his body to push sense and reason away. He gently pushed her hair away, pressing his hand against the back of her neck as she fully slid his shirt off, it landing all of a rumple round his waist.  
Katrina pulled away, slow though with her eyes closed. Her hand slid back to his chest, over his beating heart.  
She breathed, feeling beat after beat beneath her palm. Lightly seizing his wrist, she pressed his own palm to her chest atop her breast, above her own heart.  
The lacy material of her dress. His bare skin on his torso still feeling the tingle of her touch. Katrina offered a small nod, letting go of his hand which he lowered over his lap. She paused a moment to perhaps gather her composure, then slowly began to pull at the laced knotting on the front of her dress. Her chest rose and fell as she calmed her breathing, giving a final gentle pull and her dress noticably looser around her shoulders. With a shrug, it slid down her arms to her waist. Stripped to her laced corset. Ichabod watched her intently, the fear slowly building up. He wanted her, but his natural sqeuam was seizing him. A man of his stature did not travel to stranger towns and foreignicate with the chief citizen's daughter. Even if she was beautiful being. Unknown to him, he had glanced away, causing Katrina to halt her removal.

'Why do you look away?' She questioned, her voice innocent. 'Do I disgust you?'  
Ichabod was jerked from his dreamworld back to the reality he was in, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise as he turned to face her.  
'You do not disgust me.' He said quickly without even thinking about it, then realising her loss off dress on the upper torso. Only a lightly coloured corset, which on his answer she pulled a single lace. The garment relaxed, then fell from her. Her body young and plump, of pert breast. The constable felt his blood fizz as his eyes fell down to her exposure. He could think of nothing more than her soft skin and warm hold. His glance quickly slid up to her waiting face.  
'Katrina ...' He repeated in sigh, his wording from earlier. His pounding began to ease as he felt himself relax around her. Sense and reason vanishing into the vapour midst. As did cause and consequence. The maiden casually stood to her feet as he watched her, the dress and corset falling off her smooth body and landing in a rumpled heap on the floorboards. She wore nothing, fully exposed as her hair tumbled her shoulders. Ichabod did nothing but let his eyes fall from her face, then back up again. Letting her determine what was to happen next.

Katrina stepped toward his bed, lifting the covers and climbing in alongside him. The bed small and singular, that that didn't phase her. She lay down on the plump pillow, golden hair sprawled over her. Her hand lifted, resting on the constable's wrists, urging him to lie beside her as he glanced over his shoulder to the waiting lady.

'I want you,' She whispered in a soft voice. Ichabod simply stared down at her, attempting to absorb it all. Finally, he lay back. Rolling onto his side and lips brushing her ear.  
'Then you shall have me,' He breathed in her ear, her hair blowing ever so softly against his breath. She offered a weak smile, the shifted herself toward him more, easing herself up on her arms until she was looming over the lay-down constable. Her leg brushed his under the covers, feeling a material. Trousers. Ichabod lay perfectly stiff, but received the hint Katrina had sent him facially. He reached under the blanket with both hands, concentrated look on his face as he attempted to unbuckle his belt without being able to look at what he was doing. He arched his back and buckled his knees, shuffling them down until he kicked them off the end of his feet. Now as bare as she, even if hidden beneath a blanket. The girl let out a quiet, girlish giggle as she lowered her face to his. She kissed him, but more forcefully with a hunger. More passionate then the fleeting kisses they had previously shared. The man let her kiss him with such passion, his hands winding round her back and caressing her softly. A gentle touch, and Katrina had so noticed how soft his touch was. She could feel his smooth face. It was so different to kissing Brom, though she felt guilty to compare she could not help herself. Brom's face always mattered with his darkish stubble, always had brushed rough on her face whenever they shared a kiss. Ichabod face was a pure difference. Smooth like a childs.  
His teeth accidentally clunked into hers, making them both pull away a moment in surprise before just quietly smirking it off. Ichabod eased himself up, propping himself up on his elbows as he shuffled under the covers. He shifted himself so they she was lay relaxed and he was beside, torso leant over her and lowering his head to her neck. He started at her ear, lightly nipping with his teeth then softly kissing the back. Beginning to trace down her neck, he left soft kisses until he reached its base. Then nuzzled her lightly with his nose like an affectionate puppy, making her sigh with pleasure. His hand trailed from her waist down to her hip, down to her cream-coloured thighs. Brushing the skin with his fingers tips which made her tingle. She leant herself up so their lips met once more, wrapping both arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

Your skin is so soft,' Ichabod breathed, pulling away from her kiss and looking down at her in all her radiance. 'Like touching heaven's cloud'  
'If I am heaven's cloud, I am receiving angel's touch.' Katrina smiled back, running her hand up and down his smooth back. Her hands then stiffened to hold Ichabod around the torso, pulling him in as he lowered himself into her. Pressing down on her body as he rested his head beside her face, breathing hard with effort with palms outstretched on the blanket. The girl gasped lightly, her grasp on his ripe shoulders tighter as she tilted her head back and let out a gentle moan. The constable took in her smell as his face remained buried in her golden hair, exploring the limits of Katrina's body.

...

The pair collapsed off each other with a deep, satisfied sigh. They lay beside each other, hands entwined under the duvet. Katrina's long, flowing hair had since found its way out of its half-tied form. Flailing loose about her shoulders and face.

'Ichabod .. ' She uttered, turning her head to look at him. He lay calm now, his own hair scuffed in its own parted way. His brow damp. It took the lady only moments to notice that he was asleep

'I .. ' She tried to bravely muster the words as she lightly swept at his dark hair with her fingertops, lips a tremble. In in his slumber she so wanted to say it to him. 'I .. I lo- '

A stirring in the hallway, a sound of footsteps made her gasp quietly. To the window a dim orange began to fade the sky, dawn. There was a knock at the door, Katrina instantly sitting up and raising the covers to cover herself.  
'Constable Crane, it is Sarah.' The servant girl called through the door, her hand carrying a pitcher of water for his morning. 'May I come in, sir?'  
'No, Sarah.' Katrina called back, her voice of fake calmness. 'The constable is still abed. I am watching over him.  
She swallowed quietly, only preying not to hear the creak of the door opening.  
'You may go now.' She said at last.  
'Yes, miss.' Sarah said back, the found of her footsteps faintly fading away. Katrina exhaled with relief, then deciding she could not risk another encounter like that again. Her new found love for the Constable was flourishing, but she had been robbed her her fiance merely yesterday. Others could not know, not yet.

The girl swept the covers off herself and the sleeping man. Quickly finding his clothes and shuffling them onto his body, shifting him this way and that and half-buttoning his shirt how he had had it. Her dress and corset remained in the middle of the floor, whipping upward and she threw her corset on, fiddling with the intricate lace. Such a fineky job. After a minute or two of fiddling, she froze yet again. More footsteps. People were stirring, and she was stumbling around in her corset. With haste, she stepping into her dress and pulled it upward over her shoulders. The whole dressing procedure usually required Sarah's assistance, but she could not call the girl back. Besides, by the sounds of outside a cart was being driven away. Katrina carefully edged around the window, peering a glance. Sarah had commandeered a cart, a basket beside her and was heading toward the fields. Obviously off to pick corn. Katrina felt herself relax and exhaling with relief as her glance followed to the sleeping Ichabod.

She edged near the bed, he looked peaceful. Like he was watching a hectic world go by in his own face world of peace. It was a beautiful thing compared to how he had awoken the night before, with a troubled gasp and violently being torn from the dream world.  
The same as the night previous, she found his bedside and looked down over him. Watching him sleep. Her hand gently rested on his cheek. Warm and soft.

Hours had flown by, Katrina still beside him as he still slept. The man seemed exhausted. Oddly, she was not tired herself.  
'Sir?' A young voice said at the door, Katrina snatching her hand away quickly. This person did not wait for permission to enter like Sarah had, they burst in. It was the Constable's young ward who aided him, Young Masbeth. Dressed smartly for the day, and looking confused at the sight of the sleeping constable. 'Miss Katrina?'

'Do excuse him,' Katrina uttered, now at ease with people seeing her here. She was fully addressed, as was he. 'The constable has had a very trying night.'  
The young boy nodded, assuming the man had been up all night racking his mind with the Horseman case.  
'Then I shall return later for him, miss.' He said politely, then left. Only, no sooner had the lad left had Katrina heard the sound of yet more footsteps heading toward the room. She stood from the bed and proceeded toward the open door, being greeted by her step-mother.  
'Why, Katrina. What brings you to Constable Crane's room?' The woman asked airily, carrying in her hands a tray. On it was the water pitcher Sarah had brought earlier, an apple and a knife. Katrina hesitated, then opened her mouth to speak.  
'I was watching over him, step-mother.' She answered calmly.  
'All night?'  
'Yes, the fever was on him.' Katrina replied again to the astonished woman. 'It has broken now.'  
The Lady offered a gentle nod before brushing past her.  
'Well then, you go and get your self some sleep. I shall aid him now.'  
Katrina offered a nod, then quietly began to walk down the hallway to her room. Lady Van Tassel glanced over her shoulder with a smirk, looking on after Katrina. The lacing hastily done on the back of her dress.

The dream was a pleasant different, just mere blank thoughts as he slept. A dreamless sleep. Ichabod began to stir, his eyebrows twitching and lips pressing together as he began to wake. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked up with a startled gasp. He had expected it to be earlier, Katrina lying next to him. But, the rokoom was lit bright and he was fully dressed. Lady Van Tassel sat at his bedside, smiling sweetly.

'Oh,' He uttered as he looked up at her, not sure what else to say. Her smile increased.  
'You slept like the dead.' She said, reaching across for the apple and knife.  
'You are too kind to me,' He said with a slight smile himself, lying perfectly still. 'I do not look to be served by the lady of the house.'  
'Oh and nor would you be,'The Lady replied, lifting the apple and her face slightly tense. 'But the servant girl has vanished.'  
'Sarah?'  
'Run away, like so many others,' She sighed, slicing the apple down the middle with the knife and the constable loked up at her with question. Sarah had seemed so content with her position, it seemed odd for her to leave now. 'They're all leaving in fear.'

The Lady Van Tassel stood to her feet as Ichabod decided to leave it at that, deciding to askt he question that had been on his mind since the moment he had woken up.  
'Where is Katrina?' He asked as she began to walk away. The Lady turned, looking at him slightly mockingly a moment.  
'She watched over you 'til dawn,' She answered, her face softening to a gentle smile. 'Now it is her turn to sleep.'

Ichabod was not satisfied with this answer but he did not act on it, letting the lady leave the room. Katrina had obviously fed her step-mother a lie, clearly not wanting anyone to know of their encounter. Then he found himself silently understanding,, she did not want people thinking the worst of her. Not so soon after Brom had died. He decided he would not utter a word to her about it again unless she wanted to. But he made himself a silent promise. Katrina would be his.


End file.
